Dr. Don Pappas is the chair of the Biotechnology program at Ivy Tech Community College. He earned his BS in Biology from Grand Valley State University and PhD in Molecular Genetics from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Prior to his career in higher education, Dr. Pappas was an accomplished researcher at the Van Andel Research Institute (Grand Rapids, MI), Ball State University, and Indiana University School of Dentistry. Dr. Pappas has been a member of the Ivy Tech faculty for 10 years teaching Biotechnology courses and general microbiology for health science students.

Dr. Michael Hall is the Program Chair for Pre-engineering at Ivy Tech Community College. He graduated with a BS/MS in Engineering from IUPUI and a PhD in Higher Education leadership form Indiana State University. He has been a member of the Ivy Tech faculty for 30 years. Previous faculty teaching assignments have included Server Administration, Computer Networking, Robotics, and Automated Manufacturing.

LSAMP is an alliance-based program where the overall goal is to assist universities and colleges in diversifying the nation’s STEM workforce by increasing the number of STEM baccalaureate and graduate degrees awarded to populations historically underrepresented in these disciplines: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders. In his current capacity, he works to recruit, retain, and transition underrepresented minorities from Ivy Tech Community College to four-year universities or STEM-related industries.